Red cabbage gender predictor – I did it!

Yes, I’ve ventured into the ridiculous while waiting to see if my fourth baby is a boy or a girl. I stumbled upon the red cabbage gender predictor test in the August 2012 Birth Club and thought “oh what the heck”.

I’ve already stared for hours trying to discern a “nub” in my baby’s 12 week ultrasound. I tried the baking soda test (girl!), Chinese gender charts (girl!) and scoured the internet for every single gender legend that exists (50/50 boy-girl results). So I thought, what’s one more? Plus $1.50 for a cabbage is way cheaper than the gender pee tests they sell at the pharmacy.

Here’s how to do the test:

1. Buy a red cabbage (only red works, not green)
2. Cut up cabbage into small chunks (about two cups is what I’ve seen suggested, I used more but I like cabbage)
3. Boil water and pour over cabbage
4. Let sit for 10 minutes

5. Drain the water from the cabbage reserving the water
6. Mix equal parts of cabbage water and urine – I’ve seen a few places suggest using “first morning urine”, but I’m not sure if that matters (I highly suggest using disposable cups for this part if you’re squeamish like me)
7. Analyze the color of the cabbage water/urine mixture. Pink/red means boy, purple means girl!

My results: Purple/Girl

For those wondering, I have three boys, so I’m still thinking another boy is on the way…just going with odds here.

Is there any science behind this test? I interviewed a doctor (ahem, I asked my dad) and his scientific answer was “pee is pee”. So I’m going with no on that one. But it’s actually kind of fun. And now I’m off to search for some good red cabbage recipes.

Edit many many months later – I did end up having a girl, so it was right. 50/50 chance, but since this post is still getting some traffic I figured I’d update!

Just an FYI although I don’t wanna rain on your parade I did this test and it clearly showed “girl.” Unfortunately my 18 week c/s VERY clearly showed I am having my 3rd boy 🙂

Jessi

I did this with both of my kids and it was correct both times….:) Just a little fun to ease the wonderment.

Jesse

My friend did this, she tried it and got girl which her ultrasound confirmed. Her neighbor tested it, ultrasound confirmed boy and she got boy as a result as well, I tried it and got girl but TWO different ultrasounds and ultrasound techs have confirmed boy for me. So she tried it on her three year old and apparently her three year old is having a girl!

I not usually a skeptic and willing to try different things. BUT, i truly believe the results have a lot to do with how hydrated you are since if your dehydrated your urine will have more color to it. That would obviously affect the color so I say keep looking for another. Someone told me because I was “carrying low” it looked like I was having a boy…Yeah, I’m having a little girl so I don’t know about that “test” either. lol I keep having dreams about my little girl but more than likely that is because I already know what my little one will be. :0)

wendy

My sons – g/f tried everytthing she could think of and it kept saying boy – Well After Grandma told her it was going to be a GIRL she had a 2nd ultra sound NO MISTAKE she having another girl lol.

Hoda

Hahahaha this made me laugh! Thanks!!
With my 2nd the ultrasound showed a girl…but all of my family was convinced it was a mistake bc of the way I was carrying…just a round belly popping out…so I was on the Internet reading and reading…I think it’s fun to try these things whether they are accurate or not doesn’t really matter in the end :-p oh and btw I did have a girl and she is 4 months old today 🙂

Theresa

I did the quizzes. All said I was having a boy… And I did. They are fun to do during the waiting game.

That is funny! I have never heard of that till now! I think for the next pregnancy I will try it the day of or day before.. I did the needle trick and it was correct (boy) i did the Chinese chart and it said girl but I was clearly having a boy but these are fun to do.

Margarita

You can always try the Chinese calendar too! =)

Brandy

My twin sister (identical) and I were both pregnant at the same time. We already knew (99% sure) that I was having a girl so we did the Drano test to find out the sex of her baby. Peed in a cup (disposable, cause we are squeemish too!), and had our hubbies put the Drano in. Not sure how much they put in. But the color of each of them was REALLY different. So we figured she would have a boy….. the Drano test was right in our case. Of course, it helped to know I was having a girl! Anecdotal stories out there disagree on what color it should be for each sex, but we figured since the color was different, the babies’ sex would be too.

Katherine Martin

Well now you’re making me want to do the Drano test! I thought I had taken them all 😉

Tammy

I took the at home gender test from the store & it said boy. I was carrying low so every1 said it was a boy well both were wrong. I have a beautiful bouncing baby girl. Altho it was fun I must agree that I think that how hydrated u r depends on the outcome of the color. But it is a fun thing 2 do n e ways.

meaghinne

I’ve read a scientific publication on testing the accuracy of gender test’s which use a urine sample and none of them could boast of much more than 50% accuracy. They are still fun though! I took an ‘old wives tales’ gender prediction quiz later in my first pregnancy (we weren’t finding out the genders, so I did it just for fun) and my results came out 50% chance of having a girl, 50% chance of a boy. It was right, we had a girl and a boy. Though statistics told us as much, our chancing of having g/b twins was twice that of have two of the same gender.

Kristen

Im a mom of three boys and a little lady. When I was pregnant with her, I did all the gender tests as well. I actually bought the cabbage and it just sat in the fridge and I never did that one, LOL. Chinese calendar was correct for me, and I bought the gender test off amazon…GenderMaker(?) I cant recall the name. I did the gender test from Walgreens with my last and it was incorrect, so I thought I’d try the amazon one. I recommend it! But I had a feeling all along that #4 was in fact, our girl…and I was right.

All in all, I would go with your gut feeling over any of these tests. They’re fun though!

Marisa S.

I’m a girl born after 3 boys, so you never know, you could get a girl! Either way, enjoy your sweet little baby!

Pamela

We pregnant women will pee on anything!! Lol I think I’ll just hold out for my ultrasound in 18 days.

“”Sex” refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women.

“Gender” refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.”

You cannot predict ‘gender,’ if your baby will act more masculine or feminine as it grows up.
You CAN in theory predict sex, that is, whether your baby is a boy or girl biologically.

Not to be a Debbie Downer!, but Babycenter is so widely read, you might as well use the correct terms.

Jenny

@ Sara – My friend’s mom had an ultrasound that very clearly said boy too. My friend is a girl named Josie.
I’m not trusting method completely.

CP

I did a bunch of “old wives tale” gender tests when I was pregnant too, just for the fun of it. Interestingly, they mostly (70%) agreed I had a boy. The women I knew that claimed they could tell the sex of my baby by the look of my pregnancy all told me I was having a boy. I dreamed I was having a boy.

I did the Cabbage Pee test and the Urine test that cost a million dollars, lol. Both said it was a boy and guess what… It’s a boy. I’m due any day. I’ve found the Chinese predictor test to be false and so has 10 of my girlfriends. TO JB- Lighten up, everybody knows what the person was talking about.

kellie

Can someone please tell me what the results are, i feel its a boy result but my mom swears its a girl (she’s been wanting a girl since i told her about the pregnancy)

Every gender predictor test I try says a girl so we shall she in a few more weeks. And I agree, Jb needs to lightin up. This isn’t a vocabulary test!!!

rw

I did this in my last pregnancy. IT said boy and it was a boy…

Sarah

I have no idea! I have been doing all the old wives’ tests, but they all turn up different results. It is fun though. The 13 week ultrasound (super early, I know) showed what may have been boy parts, and the tech agreed with me (with a definite “most likely”)but who knows? My pee was super yellow (I drink a ton of water…?) and the cabbage water stayed the same. I did use equal parts. What does it say about the temperature of the water? Hot, warm, cold? Huh…

Katie

I heard it has to do with how acidic your urine is as to if it changes or not. Last time I did the cabbage test and it said boy. I also did the baking soda test (baking soda mixed with urine, fizzes – boy; no fizz – girl) and it said girl. I had a boy.
This time I did the baking soda test first and it said boy. I’m about to do the cabbage test, but I won’t be finding out the gender for a while, so we’ll see!

Andrew

I think no matter what old wives tale you believe in the only sure way to tell what sex your baby is by having the ultrasound done. The cabbage is surely a failure considering if your urine is really yellow and the cabbage water is purple no matter what sex your baby is the water is the result will turn red anyway.

deidra

Katie:: When the baking soda fizzes it means boy if it doesnt it means girl…

Swetha

Hi….. I tried red cabbage test and it turned green. Can anyone suggest the gender of my baby

Denise

I did this test twice both came out Boy but I’m having a girl!! It’s 50-50 those who’s test came out right is 50 percent. Just luck. Do not go by this at all.

jennifer

My friend and her twin sister are pregnant at the same time, one is having a boy and the other a girl. They did this test and it was right!

Ren

I did this test today. The colour turned pinkish red. I did the baking soda test yesterday and it fizzed. I am 35 weeks pregnant. Guess ill know soon.

Holly

Hi Katherine, so what did you end up having? A fourth boy or was the baby a girl? I’m in the same situation, and very curious what mine will be, and am considering the cabbage test. 🙂

Melisa Gardner

My friend and I did this with our last babies mine said boy and hers said girl and it was correct 🙂

Roza

does this work for twins pregnancy. I’m 19 weeks . Did baking soda test .itsaid a girl. My doctor said defenetly one boy but the other baby could not determine. We did verifi test if anybody familiar. So will see hopefully the second will be a girl. Crossing my fingers

Brandy Alrashed

Like you, I had 4 BOYS and was so hoping for a girl. I did every test possible! The cabbage test said girl and it was RIGHT!!! I’m sure you are having just as much fun with your sweet baby girl as I have been!